Milk claw



July 11, 195 0 E. SHURTS 2,514,676

MILK CLAW Filed Dec. 11, 19461 IN ENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 11 1 950UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILK CLAW Englebert Shurts, Waukesha, Wis.

Application December 11, 1946, Serial No. 715,373

3 Claims. 1

W This invention relates to milking machine claws and it resides in animproved form of the same in which a transverse open ended straightwalled access barrel having removable sight closures is centered withrespect to straight walled teat cu branch connections which emergetherefrom upwardly and obliquely to form a balanced structure, thebarrel being provided with a straight walled milk tube nipple whichemerges therefrom downwardly and obliquely.

One object of this invention is to provide a claw which may bemaintained in sanitary condition with greater convenience and greatercertainty by providing a claw such that all milk conducting surfacesthereof may be rendered accessible to direct brushing for cleaningpurposes and in which all milk conducting surfaces may be easily exposedto direct visual inspection.

Another object of this invention is to provide a claw which whenassembled with teat cups and milk tube, and attached to a cows udder,balances so as not to exert more weight upon one particular quarter ofthe udder than another.

, Another object of this invention is to provide a claw with oppositelydisposed sight open ings closed by sight glasses which permitobservation of the progress of milking.

Another object is to provide a claw possessed of the foregoingadvantages which may be provided with removable pulsator connections soas to permit sterilizing treatment to be given to milk conducting partsof the claw only.

In the common forms of milking machines a plurality of teat cups arejoined by lengths .of flexible tubing with a common junction fittingcalled a claw. The streams of milk drawn by the several cups merge inthe claw fitting and pass outwardly therefrom through a flexible tubecalled the milk tube of sufiicient length to reach to the milkingmachine proper. In order to bring about the joining of the several tubesreferred to, the claw fitting is provided with a nipple to which themilktube may be attached and with separate nipples, one for each of thetubes which lead to the teat cups. These several nipples are incommunication with one another. In the common type of milking machine,in addition to the milk conveying parts above referred to, provision isalso made for applying pulsating pressure to the outer shellsof the teatcups. For this purpose tubing, usually duplex in character, is carriedfrom the milking machine proper to the claw where it joins with passageswhich emerge in a plurality of small nipples adapted to be connectedthrough lengths of pulsator tubing with the outer shells of the severalteat cups. The claw thus is provided with additional projecting nipplesand connecting passages rendering the internal construction of the clawquite complex in character. The multiplicit of nipples project'- ingfrom the claw fitting give it a form suggestive of its name.

The maintenance of a high standard of sanitary control in connectionwith milking equipment is essential. To this end the equipment must besubjected to thorough cleansing and sterilization at frequent intervals.The sterilizing of the claw with its many-complex passages hasheretofore presented a serious problem.

In accordance with this invention the claw is constructed so that allmilk conveying passages are straight walled channels, preferablycylindrical, each of which has at least one exposed opening when removedfrom the tubing. In this way every milk conveying surface of the claw isaccessible to direct visual inspection and may be reached for brushingby straight brushes. Also, if desired, less accessible pulsator passageparts are removable from the claw, and need not be subject to cleansingfluids which might leave (lif ficultly removable residues therein. v

This invention is herein described by reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which there is set forth by way of illustration and not oflimitation one form in which a claw constructed in accordance with thisinvention may be con- Fig. 3 is an end view in elevation of the clawshown in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of the claw shown in Fig. lwith partsbeingshown broken away and' in section.

As shown in the drawing, the claw of this invention as there depicted,is made up of a junction body portion I from which upwardly sloping teatcup connection nipples 2 emerge. The body portion I is formed intheshape of a hollow transverse cylinder closed at the ends'by sightwindows 3 through which the action of the milk-- ing machine may beobserved, said sight windows 3being received in counterbores l8. Thestraight 3 cylindrical interior walls of the body I are freelyaccessible for inspection, and upon removal of the sight glasses 3, heldin place by the friction of rubber washers l1, may be reached in theirentirety by simple brushes. The nipples 2, as appears more clearly inFig. 2, are tubular with straight interior walls and communicate freelywith the hollow interior of the junction body I. lllmerging downwardlyfrom the body I in a sloping position is a milk tube nipple 4 having-astraight walled internal passage also communicating with the interior ofthe body I. The nip pie 4 is adapted to be frictionally engaged by aspection passage, a flat disc of optically transparent materialpermitting transmission of an milk tube 5 composed of rubber or otherfiex ible material.

Extending from the junction body :l of "the claw is an integrally formedboss 5 which terminates in a looped handle or eye I. Passing undistortedvisual image disposed in each of said counterbores closing the ends ofsaid inspection passageand providing a visual inspection channel throughthe boss 6 in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of nipple 4is a pair of spaced pulsator assembly retaining; holes 8. Arranged toheslidin ly r oeit d with-inthe re inineho are-t htens left handmain endsSand It of an in ependen nuls tor connection assembly wh h isagenera lydesi a d 1 i The-main ends 9 and HI. of .thepulsator assembly II extendupwardly and around the claw body Iv to a. meeting point I2. where theyare mechanically joined but separated pneumatically from one. another bya solder seal,.:I 3asshown in 4. Main end I is provided with twobranching nipples Id -I.4. connected therewith and adaptedto I beconnected by pulsator tubing with the outer shells-of certain of the.teat cups.

s milar manner main end '9 is'provided with a pair-pi branchnipplesI.5=-i for the .samepurpose; Theopen ends of main ends 9 and Ii! areadapted to be connected with and firictionally ensa edby a flexible.duplex pulsator tube Is'having two individual passagesthereincorresponding in spacing with the main ends 9 and t9. v

In Figs; 1, 3 and .4 the (claw herein shown and described appearsconnected with a milk tube 5 andg pulsator duplex tubing I6. 'When thusassembled-the parts .of the claw of this invention are maintained in theform of a unit functioning ,:as asingle claw; When it is desired tosubjectrtheclaw parts tosterilizatiomtube I6 is :removedpandthe'pulsatorassembly II withdrawnasshown inFig. 2.. The milk tube Band :the clawbody I .and'its associated parts which come into contact with milk maythen be treated for cleansing and sterilizing in any manner-desired.while thepulsator assembly 1 I, which .does not come into contact "withmilk, may'tbe withheld fnom'the sterilizing treatment. inthis-wayztheparts to be cleansed and sterilized are reducedzin-comple ity, andpassages difiicult 10f access receive-inc deposit of ;milk re,sidue ,orsterilizing solution.

As previously stated,'to facilitate the cleansing of the junction body Ithe Windows-:3 are-rernoyably held in place by rubberewashers III, .thus

rendering the transverse bore of the body iI- i k r sidues or strilizing solutions are .eem pletely visible rendering inspection-.morepertain.

By reasongofthe centered relationship of thebarrel ;I with respecttoithe nipples-.2, the claw of this invention evenly loads the cowsudder with a. balanced load which is little disturbed by the eccentricdisposition of 213116 milk tube 5; The

downward. in lination of. the fnulkitube nipple .4

passing completely through said inspection passage from both endsthereof, a resilient sealing ring for each of said fiat transparentdiscs in sealing engagement with the walls of said counterbores and thefaces of said transparent discs, a lurality of teat .icu nipp es em r nobliquely upwardly from said ibodyportionpiand having straight walledpassages. therein entirely exposed to inspection and cleansing com-mum:eating with the interior of saidbody portion,z.-and a milk tubenipplevemerging downwarldly113mm said body portion having :a straightwalled has: sage therein entirely exposed toinspection and. cleansingeommunicatingwith the interior-of-said body portion 2. InaImilking-machineclaw the combination comprising a body. portion having;a normally horizontal straight walled inspection passage therethrough.open atboth ends, counterbores surrounding the openings at each end ofsaid :in.-.-. spection passage, a flat disc'of optically trans parentmaterial permitting transmission of anundistorted visual image disposedin .each .of said counterbores closing the ends of said; inspectionpassage and providing a visual inspection chan.-

nel passing completely through said inspection passagewfromboth endsthereof, a resilient sealing.

ring, for each of said fiat transparent .idiscsein sealing engagementwith the walls. of said counterbores and the faces not said transparent?discs, a pluralityiof .teatcup nipples symmetricala ly disposed withrespectto .one another emerging. obliquely upwardly from said bodyportion and having .straight walled passages therein .=en-.

tirely exposed .to inspection and cleansing communicating with theinterior of said 'body portion,-.

and a. milk :tube nippleemer-ging obliquely downwardly from .said bodyportion having a straight;

walled passage thelein entirely exposed-to inspection and cleansingcommunicating with the interior ofsaid body portion.

3. Ina milking machine claw the combination comprisinga body portionhaving a normally horizontal straight walled inspection passagetherethrough open a at both ends .the diameter of which is-approximatelyequal to its length countion passage and providing a-visualinspectionchannel :passing completely through said inspec tion passage-from'bothends thereof; a resilient" sealing ring for each o-f'said flattransparent discs in sealing engagementwi-th the walls :91? saidcounterbores and the faces of saidtransparent discs; -a -plu-ralityof'teat cup nipples emerging obliquely upwardly from -said body portionand having straight walled passages therein entirely exposed toinspection and cleansing communicating with the interior of said bodyportion, and a. pulsator connection assembly detachably secured to theexterior of said body portion.

ENGLEBERT SHURTS.

REFERENCES CITED Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Mitchell Feb.27, 1912 Oden July 26, 1921 Oden May 19, 1925 Schmitt Nov. 15, 1938Levitt July 2, 1940 Bender et al Nov. 4, 1947

